BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan – A Soyuz spacecraft carry three astronauts has taken off atop a towering Russian rocket, headed for the International Space Station.

The Soyuz launched from Russia's manned-space facility in the steppes of Kazakhstan at 6:12 p.m. Wednesday (1212 GMT) Wednesday.

American Tom Marshburn, Russian Roman Romanenko and Canada's Chris Hadfield will travel for two days in the capsule, before docking with the space station where three other astronauts are already on board.